Not Forgotten
by TheNotSoGingerNinja
Summary: A story of the Quilettes in another place in the world. Still with the werewolf thing, and vampires. When a girl dramatically comes into their lives she finds out all about them and they all about her. P.S when it says Cherokee it means Quilettes


Unforgotten

_Long ago, When the first people settled in The South, there lived a very rich and pompous man. He had a young wife who loved him unquestioningly, but he didn't return this love. They lived together for five years when she finally became pregnant. However she became ill after the birth and could not feed her son. In desperation he goes to the local shaman and asks if there is any way to save the child. He answered 'Only the love for your wife will save your son.' He goes back in dismay, knowing that he doesn't love her. That evening he went to collect herbs in the forest. On his way he saw a beautiful woman wandering. Seeing who he was, the woman strode over. One thing lead to another and he fell in love, he couldn't help it. So while the man was meeting in secret, every day his wife came closer to dying. While the son was in the care of the shaman and he with his lover , the wife faded away, neither of them were there to comfort her._

_ Seeing this the Goddess Atindi was furious. She came to the man and cursed him. All his tribe and descendants would only ever love once in their life, and nothing would change it. So the man went back to his lover and asked her to marry him, for he was deeply in love with her. But alas she was not of his tribe, and she did not love him as he did her. So she left him, the man was left heart broken. He had lost his wife, the only person that had truly loved him, and his lover, the only person he will ever love. _

_ Atindi watched and laughed._

Chapter 1

As the scream died in my throat, I looked wildly around. I could see nothing but blackness, with blacker shapes emerging from the gloom. I knew who and what those shapes were so, I ran. I ran like all the daemons in hell were after me.

After what felt like hours but what I knew were only minutes i stumbled and collapsed, as exhaustion started to take effect I heard excited voices, and the crackle of a fire. The last thing i knew was a blinding pain searing its way across my chest, right above my heart.

Warm strong arms picking me up. Troubled voices and muttering. The roar of a car. Gentle hands washing the incessant throbbing in my chest. I tried to squirm, to get away from these people, but a deep soft voice voice resounded throughout my head "Please trust me, you're safe now, I promise"

With that thought I descended soundly into a dreamless sleep.

Sunlight and an infuriating bird song drifted through the open window above my bed. I was in a bright room with pictures and tapestries covering most of the walls. There was a pattered sofa opposite the bed i was lying in, but otherwise it was completely bare. My bed was big and wooden with a wonderful coloured blanket. I felt like I was at a camp or something. When I looked down at my hands, they were, as usual, covered in a series music notes and doodles (in marker pen) and the nails bitten almost down to the cuticles.

I sighed and tried to sit up, but as I did a sharp pain shot through my chest, just above my heart. I looked down, a thick, damp bandage was covering whatever messed up wound was under there (my imagination tended to run away with me at times like this). I was wearing the same ratty old T-shirt and jeans i was wearing the night... it happened. My midnight black hair was thick and matted with sweat and.. blood? I felt my head and there was a thick line of stitches running from my hairline to my eye brow. I don't even remember hitting my head! Shaking my head I sat up, more slowly this time and looked next to me.

There was a boy, no more than my age (fifteen), asleep in an old armchair next to my bed. He had slightly curly shoulder length jet black hair and warm caramel coloured skin. He looked quite tall and lanky but was evidently very strong. His face was (there's no other word for it) perfect. A straight nose and full lips. I couldn't tell the colour of his eyes but i would guess that they were a deep chocolate brown. Let me clarify that I did not fancy him at this moment, I just thought him handsome is all.

There was a full glass of water on the bed side table, I reached for it but (classically) knocked it everywhere. The glass continued to roll off the table and on the floor and smashed everywhere! At this noise the boy with and alarming jerk. When he saw me, grinning like a idiot, his eyes softened (I was right about them by the way) and he relaxed back into the chair.

"So, you're awake then?" his voice was soft and musical

"No, I am sleep walking and talking" I replied sarcastically. He looked momentarily puzzled, but then the penny dropped and he grinned.

"I think I'm going to like you" he declared. He then started to pick up the pieces of shattered glass.

"Here let me do that" I tried to get down from the bed but failed when my legs gave way beneath me and fell back on the bed again. He just chuckled and started to make a pile on the table. As I lay back into the pillows I remembered there had been a question that had been nagging me ever since i first saw him, but I was too afraid to ask. The voice of my father sounded in my head '_An unasked question is the most futile thing in the world_'

"Are you the one who found me?" As soon as the words were out of my mouth I knew how ridiculous they sounded. I expected him to laugh or jokingly agree but instead he looked up, his face all serious and said;

"No, Jim my brother found you. He was on a hike thing into the desert and just found you lying there. He didn't know if you belonged to anyone so he brought you back here." he laughed "Apparently you put up one heck of a fight." I grimaced, but now my ADHD was taking over

"Does anyone else know I am here?" damn! I told myself I wouldn't ask. He looked startled at this question and I thought he was going to go quiet.

"Only our village, which isn't that big at all, don't worry. And nobody knows who you really are, including us. You are a bit of a mystery" I grinned at the thought. I've never been a mystery before, it's quite fun. I was studying his huge calloused hands pick up the glass when I realized i didn't even know his name, but what if he didn't tell me his name for a reason? He winced as he cut himself on a small fragment and a felt a pang of guilt. How long have I been here? how long have they been taking care of me? all these questions burst into my head and straight out of my mouth

"Who are you? How long have I been here? Where is Here anyway?" As I said it i saw his face change from jovial and grinning to confused and hurt.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean—" I cut myself off and sank back into the pillows wanting to hide my face in shame.

"No, no its alright" he smiled again "I'm Seth, Seth Miller. You have been here for about two days and here is a little village in the south of Arizona called Hamlita. We are a small Cherokee village, there are only about 20 houses here and only a village store. My dad is away selling old Cherokee antiques, thats his job. It is only me, Jim, Charlotte (my older sister) and her new daughter Drew. Charlotte is living here cos the dad ran off without warning, she was devastated" His face was sad and he looked me in the eyes, he really is quite good looking "She is a strong girl, but I don't know how she will cope on her own" He looked startled at what had just come out of his mouth, he smile grudgingly "You have a strange talent of making people blurt out anything, did you know that?" I grinned

"Yup! Comes in handy sometimes as well, My name is Josie by the way, Josie Rose" At that moment my stomach rumbled. I looked up sheepishly and gave a queasy smile.

"Come on, I'll show the kitchen" he took my arm and supported me and I stood up. Then after over coming a blinding head rush I stumbled after him.

The house was old, that much I could tell. It was the kind of one you travelled to the mountains in Peru to see (I should know). There was an old tribal rug covering the length of the wooden floor, all the way along the corridor. We passed numerous door with plaques on them, one said 'JIM'S ROOM!' and one other saying 'Bathroom'. The walls were cream coloured and covered with old paintings and pictures of people which I am guessing were ancestors of some kind.

At the end of the corridor stood the biggest person I have ever seen. He was no fat, not by any account but he was incredibly muscly and tall. He looked almost exactly like Seth but more chiseled and less boyish and with shorter lighter hair. He was wearing a tattered pair of shorts and what I think was once a white t shirt but now it was almost black with oil and grease I couldn't fully make out the colour.

"So, the sleeping beauty finally wakes!" his voice was deep and soft and with a jolt I realised that he was the one that had found me. I looked over at Seth and he smiled,

"This is my brother Jim" Jim, who had moved forward, proceeded to 'pat' me on the back so hard that I thought my eyeballs would pop out. I stumbled forward and almost fell, but Seth caught my before I made a complete fool of myself.

"Jim, This is Josie" I smiled at him and he grinned like a cheshire cat back. We were about to move on when I noticed that as I had stumbled my bandage had torn away to reveal an angry red burn is the shape of an 'S'. I gasped in shock and looked incredulously at the two boys. They glanced at each other in a meaningful way. There was something they are not telling me. My blood boiled fro the fact that they wouldn't tell me. Seth took my had and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Lets get you something to eat" he pulled me through the oak door, Jim following behind, and into the most amazing room I have ever been into. Every surface was covered with books. they were stacked up against the walls and rammed into every possible crevice. The room was in two halves. In the half nearest the wall of sliding doors (!) there was a massive grand piano. It was a medium brown with well worn ivory keys. That too was covered with various books and sheet music. Next to the piano was a guitar and violin, each on a stand and in pride of place. The other half of the room was a kitchen. It on the other hand was almost spotless, with only a empty crisp packet lying on the middle counter.

"Oh My God!" I cried, momentarily forgetting my burn and my dignity "I love you house!" I rushed over to the piano, I ran my hand over the keys, itching to play it. A light feminine chuckle came from the other side of the room.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you. Seth would have your head!" I looked over to see the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She had straight, dark hair almost down to her waist with a braid entwined with a light green thread running down from her forehead. She was tall and thin with golden, almond shaped eyes. I could clearly see the family resemblance between her and her two brothers. She was carrying a small bundle which squirmed as she moved foreword, still chuckling. I could now see that she was holding a small baby, it let at a mournful whimper and she proceeded to put it down in the cot I now noticed next to the piano,

"Thats Seth's most prized possession, He never lets anyone play it without his express permission" she sighed "will you Seth?" she looked over at the two boys who had now started to raid the food cupboards. Seth glanced up and smiled;

"Guilty" was all he said before he had rammed his mouth full of some sort of biscuit.

"Oi! Leave some for our guest, she is the one that was hungry in the first place" she walked over to the fridge and brought out a plate of cold meat. My stomach rumbled loudly again, and I smiled as I walked over to where the others were sitting at the counter.

"Cold meat sandwiches are all I can put together at short notice I'm afraid" she looked guiltily at me.

"Oh, thats alright, really. There're my favourite, I always used to have them with my dad." I smiled at the memory. "I'm Josie by the way" she smiled and said "Charlotte, though everybody calls me Lottie, and that little grisly girl in the cot is Drew, my daughter" As I munched on the sandwich, which was the best thing I have every tasted, I studied Seth a bit more. His hair was not really black, so in the sunlight it turned a chocolate brown and his eyes had beautiful flecks of green in them.

"Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?" Seth laughed as I thumped him on the shoulder. Jim was reading a book called Great Expectations by Charles Dickens it was so well read that when he left it at a page it just stayed there. It was obviously not new.

"So, Josie, you turn up, unconscious in the desert with a huge cut on your forehead and a brand on you chest. What is your story?" I looked at Jim, whose face had become all serious and I started to remember, why I was running, always running and hiding.

"Jim!" Lottie chastised "She has only just woken up, she will tell us when she is ready" she looked at me "Right Josie?

"It doesn't matter Lottie, really" I looked over to the boys "You want to know my story? Well you might want to get comfortable, this could take a while." I sighed and sat on the worn sofa, with Seth beside me, and began.

Chapter 2

"My mother was called Lilith and my father was called Thomas. They met in England, fell in love and a year later they got married. Thomas was a gypsy, and she a nomad, with no real home. They had so much in common. As years passed they had two daughters Beth and Josie. We were happy, for three years, we were happy. We lived in our caravan in the Suffolk countryside, and had a dog, the perfect family. But when I was three and Beth five, she drowned in the river by our home. I won't go into all the details but, it wasn't an accident." I looked at the perfectly still faces around me "You see, there are these people, more sort of bandits I think that have been after my family ever since i can remember, I don't know who they are or why they are after us. Anyway, my mother was distraught and my father, he didn't show much emotion but when he goes all quiet, you know something is wrong. They both wanted to get revenge on the people that had made it happen. We suffered together for a year, neither of my parents really getting over her death. We all had loved Beth so much, she was a wonderful sister.

Then my mother left us, just like that. No warning, no goodbyes. Just up and went in the night." I sniffed "she sung me a lullaby though, every night without fail she sung me my lullaby. My father was better after she had left and as i grew up we travelled. We went to Spain, Italy, Turkey, Hong Kong. I learnt languages and experienced it all. My father home schooled me and it was fun. He taught me how to fight and how to do magic tricks. But then, I made a friend in Hong Kong, Matilda. She was really nice and she wouldn't tease me like the other streets kids would. We never stayed in one place for more than a year so when I told her we were leaving she was sad, but understood. I ran from her then, when she understood. I was so used to people rejecting me it was hard to think what it was to have someone who wasn't my dad care for me. She sent me flowers. They were on my bed when I got to my caravan, they were lilies, they were really pretty." I stumbled here recalled the painful memory of her sad face as we drove away.

"But as I got older I got the feeling that we weren't traveling, we were running. At the time I didn't know who or what from. Dad would always look behind him and make sure I was safe, every minute of every day. I didn't really care, he was my dad, I loved him with every essence of my being. Then when I turned fourteen we went to Brazil and it was here that I saw a real change in my him. I had never seen him scared before, but he had a wild look in his eyes and he never let me out his sight not even at night. We travelled north for a couple of weeks and crossed into America.

Then one night, they came for us. They surrounded our caravan and smashed the windows. We got out and we fought." Here I coughed and grinned. " I was a good fighter, with a sword and stuff. We managed to get on our horse and gallop off into the desert. I didn't know where we were going. All I knew was that there were these men chasing us and we had to get away. My dad told me it would be fine. We would get through it. But they caught up with us. Our horse was carrying two and got really tired. So we got off and we fought. It was the hardest I had ever fought. I so nearly got killed so many times. I killed that night. But more of the masked men kept coming and I couldn't stop them. I had managed to get on top of one of those big boulders with the men shouting and throwing stuff at me. My dad always said, do the most impressive stuff you can, it scares people off. So I turned my back on them and did a backflip of the boulder and landed, knocked a few men in the process. " I smiled when I remembered the feeling of flying through the air" but then my whole world seemed to freeze over. I looked over and saw my dad being stabbed in the back. It is a low and sad thing to stab someone when their back is turned, and these men were no better then dogs.

I ran. I ran for all the was worth, and when I was far enough away I screamed. I screamed like I have never screamed before. Then they came for me. Out of the shadows, and I ran. I think I collapsed and the next thing I knew I was waking up here."

I looked round at the stunned faces of the people next to me, and I started to cry. Not weeping, real crying. As I sobbed Lottie came and hugged me, whispering soothing words to me, like she would to Drew, and that just made me cry more. It was like having a mother again. I went into a sort of daze, and I vaguely remember being lain out on the sofa and sung to, a lullaby. It was in a language that I didn't know but it was hypnotizing, Lottie stroked my cheek and wiped away my tears. I drifted off, my last though being that I now know what it was like for mum and dad when Beth died.

When I woke up, my eyelids where all stuck together from the tears. I had a horrible taste in my mouth and I felt downright gross. When I had unstuck my eyes I saw the pile of clothes on the edges of my bed. On top of them was a note from Jim;

Josie,

Here are some clothes. They are my girlfriends and i hope they fit (Lottie's would be a bit big for you). There is a shower and bathroom in the second room on the left, towels are in the closet. When you get dressed and stuff there is someone who wants to meet you.

Jim

I smiled at the thought of Jim having a girlfriend about the size of me. She must look like a dwarf next to him. I inspected the pile of clothes and found and short white dress, a pair of light blue jeans, a couple of t shirts and at the bottom some underwear. I silently thanked Jim and went into the bathroom. When I took my clothes off I gingerly took the bandage off my burn. It was not as red now, but it would leave a clearly visible scar. I sighed. There is nothing I can do about it now. I examined my stitches and figured that they would be there a while too. Once I had got into the shower and figured out how to turn it on, I washed all the blood and general nastiness out of my hair I scrubbed my self within and inch of my life and washed off. When it came to choosing my clothes, I made a pass on the dress and went for a snoopy top and the jeans. They fit perfectly (another prayer of thanks to Jim). I padded out of the bathroom and walked straight into Seth. I dropped the clothes everywhere and felt the heat going to my face.

"Oh! I'm sorry" I smiled as he looked me up and down. It looked like he couldn't think of what to say. In the end he said

"You look clean..." I laughed and patted him on the back. He looked a bit stunned so I went back into my room and dumped my clothes on the bed. I quickly sorted out my hair in the mirror (it was being annoying) and went into the front room. The first thing I noticed was that is was full of people. All of them were about 6 feet tall and male. They all looked jovial and laughing.

I saw Jim talking to a girl that was very small compared to the rest of the company. She had shoulder length, curly blonde hair. She had green eyes and light creamy skin, and she came up to Jim's shoulder. It must be he girlfriend, I thought. As I walked further into the room Lottie noticed me and came over;

"Josie! how are you? I hardly recognized you without all the blood and stuff, I mean that not in the weird way, of couse" she gave me a warm hug and told me to sit down. Jim then noticed me and he and the girl came over.

"Josie! You look clean... Anyway I would like you to meet Vanessa, Vanessa this is Josie our refugee" She smiled at me and held out her hand. I took it and shook it awkwardly. She nodded at me then stared into Jim's eyes. He understood the gesture, he nodded and turned solemnly to me;

"She can't speak" He said bluntly. I stared at her until Jim nudged me, I smiled at him and he walked away. The awkward silence between me and Vanessa became to much to bear

"Sorry I—" I stopped abruptly, she put her hand on my cheek and was looking into my eyes. I can't really describe it, it was like she was talking to me, without actually saying anything or gesturing. I felt this breeze come into my mind it was like she was standing their, in my mind,It was un nerving but, I went along with it and this is what I found out; She has never been able to speak, when her mother was pregnant with her she had a message from the Goddess Atindi who is the goddess of love, family and the future. She said that her daughter was involved in some future plan, that would bring people together. So when she was unable to speak her mother didn't question it, she figured it was all part of Atindi's master plan.

I gasped as I came out of my reverie. Vanessa was still looking right into my eyes and Jim was standing right beside her.

"Cool isn't it?" Jim said. Cool isn't the way i would have described it, weird and disturbing maybe, but not cool.

Seth wondered over and tried to introduce me to a few people. I was overwhelmed by the number of men but i still caught a few names, Jacob; a tall dark skinned boy with luminous green eyes, Paul; a slightly shorter tawny eyed version of seth and Sam and huge boy, no man with dark skin and blue eyes. He was holding hands with a girl much like charlotte, if a little less startlingly beautiful. The thing that made the couple so similar with Jim and Vanessa is that they never took their eyes of each other if they had the chance, if he moved she moved with him. It was quite un nerving to see such young people so blindingly in love.

Once that chat had finished Sam announced that their would be a horse ride for all those who wish to come. Delighted by this I asked Seth if I could come along, he grinned and we went outside to the stables to find me a horse. The stables were just a little way from the house. Their garden was big and full of trees and flowers. As we approached i suddenly saw how many horses the family seemed to own. There were 6 boxes with a horse in each lining one wall and 5 on the other side with one room full of tack and horse feed.

I walked along the row of horse at the front, there were chestnut ones, dapple grey, palomino and one midnight black with a white star. As i went round the other side the horse at the end of the row caught my eye. As I surged foreword Seth raised his eyebrows but made no comment as I came to a halt by the horse.

It was a young dapple grey horse with a beautiful white mane. It's dark eyes sparkled in surprise as i reached out to stroke it. It nickered softly and i spoke to it gently;

"_Don't be afraid, I am a friend, I am not here to hurt you. I love the colour of you mane by the way" _The effect was immediate, The horse gave a long warm sigh and nuzzled it's nose into my hand. Only at this moment did I look over at Seth to see his face stuck in an expression of mild surprise

"What did you say to him?" I smiled softly.

"I just said that i wasn't here to hurt him, and that i like the colour of his mane"

"Yes, but what language?" I laughed at this

"You really don't know? Well my family are gifted with horses and I just spoke in my native tongue; Romany"

"I've never heard of it, but whatever it did, it worked. No one has been able ride him or even go near him for days, it was alot of trouble to get him in the box this morning. My father found him tied up in the rain and the owner gave him to him for free, we haven't given him a name yet" I gasped inwardly at this, a horse without a name and almost not a horse at all.

"Then I shall call him Tom" At this the horse nudged my shoulder for attention.

"Do you like that name, eh? do you like you new name Tom?" Tom nickered even loudly at this point and I laughed openly for the first time in days.

When we were fixing up Tom's tack the rest of the boys coming ran up the hill. It had obviously been planned in advance as all the horse they took had already be made up. I was gladdened to see that the few people I new were coming along; Jim, Jacob, Sam, Paul and Seth. it seemed i would be the only girl. i sighed and lead Tom out of him box. Jacob, Sam and Paul all took the chestnut ones, whereas Jim took and huge palomino one with white socks. I turned to see that Seth was fixing up the Black horse with the star. I had to admit, they made a fine pair.

"Jim, where do you keep the horses when you're not riding them?" he grinned

"They just roam around our garden really" I laughed at the though of waking up with a horse staring at you from your window.

As all the boys got on their horses, I jumped up onto Tom. it was so long since I had ridden a horse, I felt of good to be back. On Tom I was almost the same height as all the rest, and almost got to look them in the eye.

"We'll take the path left into the woods then out and over the river" Jim shouted over his shoulder. I could clearly see the path into the woods and my adrenaline was running high, so on the spur of the moment I told Tom to run like the wind.

The feeling of the wind in my hair and the sound of the shouts of the boys and the thunder of hooves running after me only made me laugh and and spur Tom on even more up the garden and into the dark cover of the woods. They were dark and cold, with occasional streams of golden light making it through the canopy of leaves above. The floor was dry and covered in moss. The trees in this part of the wood were huge, their trunks think and their branches reaching out, determined to be the ones to get sunlight.

The steady rhythm of Tom's hooves and the cool of the woods make me calm down and i turn around. The pack of boys and horses and galloping after me with grins on their faces. It seems they have stopped being mad at me, and are finding it funny. Willing to top my first rash move I veer off to the right and over a huge fallen down tree. I hear exclamation and swearing from the boys. They are still after me though so I try a trick my dad taught me years ago in Poland. I told Tom, and his ears flattened to his head from fear. I shouted

"_NOW_!" Tom turned abruptly around, he reared up. I clung onto his mane as I felt my self slipping. The boy's horse whinnied in surprise and dug their hooves in to stop in time When Tom came to a stand still I was sat facing Jacob and Seth, The rest trotting up from behind. I grinned sheepishly

"That was fun.." Jacob just looked at Seth was was looking at me incredulously and laughed. Soon we were all in hysterics. i don't know whether it was the fresh air or the aftermath of that much adrenalin but we kept laughing for about 5 minutes, then we looked at each other and started laughing again.

Soon we were back on the path and walking normally. I was walking next to jacob. His horse was tall, with and white stripe and a reddish chestnut coat. He was staring into the distance with a slightly glazed look. I pinched his shoulder, as I did so he turned at me with a look and surpirise

"HEY! what d'you do that for?" I laughed

"Was it nice?"

"What?"

"The place you drifted off to!"

"nah, bit boring really" he grinned "I was just thinking" I stared at him "I know me thinking right?"

"What were you thinking about?"

"Just... someone" he glanced around surreptitiously

"This someone is a girl right?"

"Yeah, okay? but don't tell any of the guys.. its kinda a secret" he looked down at his hands

"Well, I know all about secrets" I looked him in the eyes "You wanna tell me about her?"

"I dunno" he must have noticed the look of disappointment that flashed across my face because he hasitly added

"its just, don't take this the wrong way, its just that I have just met you, what? this morning, and i don't know if I can trust you.." He looked slightly embarrassed at his sudden honesty. I chided myself inwardly. I shouldn't do that to people, it wrong to make them tell me the truth. I can't make them tell me stuff if they don't want to tell me, I would hate my gift if I could do that. I can't control it sometimes, it just happens if I look them in the eye and ask them a question, they have to tell the truth. I try not to do it, to repsect their secrets but sometimes it just happens. I sighed.

I trotted up to Jim who was chatting to Paul. it was something about a girl, and horse and a river. As riveting as it sounded i really wanted to know where we were going.

"Jim, where are we going anyway?"


End file.
